


You Will Open the Yawning Grave

by FlyingFreeYT



Series: Take Me Back [1]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Angst and Humor, BAMF CC-2224 | Cody, CC-2224 | Cody Needs a Hug, CT-5597 | Jesse Lives, CT-7567 | Rex Needs a Hug, Everyone is Dead, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Humor, Fox is like. borderline not okay, Gen, IS THIS EVEN A HAPPY ENDING???, Im so sorry in advance for this, M/M, Maybe an MCU crossover if you squint, Sith Holocron, That's Not How The Force Works, Thats not how technology works either, The Endgame vormir au no one asked for, The infinity stones are holocrons, Time Travel, Vormir, codywan - Freeform, get him some therapy, get on the angst train, good for them. good for them, it goes to shit real fast, light humor, me? getting beta readers? Its more likely than you think, sith planets, these bitches be gay, this is not the happy au you were looking for
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-29
Updated: 2020-05-29
Packaged: 2021-03-02 20:42:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,292
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24433027
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FlyingFreeYT/pseuds/FlyingFreeYT
Summary: Fox yelled Thorn’s name as his friend stared numbly at his hands, disappearing with the breeze coming through the shattered window in the Chancellor’s office. He turned around and Ponds, who was right behind him, was gone, leaving nothing but his blaster behind.Cody was numb. And confused. And so, so tired.
Relationships: CC-1010 | Fox & Thorn, CC-2224 | Cody & CC-3636 | Wolffe, CC-2224 | Cody & CT-7567 | Rex, CC-2224 | Cody/Obi-Wan Kenobi, implied/referenced Anakin Skywalker/Padme Amidala
Series: Take Me Back [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1764505
Comments: 18
Kudos: 110
Collections: Captain Rex Stuff, Commander Fox





	You Will Open the Yawning Grave

**Author's Note:**

> *inhales* oh
> 
> NGL I've had this AU brewing since January maybe?? I never actually did anything with it until my friend Diego wrote something really sad for an RP we're in so I just. Uno Reverse Card. Everyone say thanks, Diego.
> 
> I whipped this out in a span of 2 days and stayed up till 3 am finishing it. I have schoolwork to do but you know what? Priorities
> 
> Thank you to my two betas E and Night on the discord server. You guys had to read my 3 am writing, you're the real ones.
> 
> The title is from The Yawning Grave by Lord Huron (I'm sorry)

Cody wasn't entirely sure what was happening anymore.

One minute, he was providing backup for the Jedi as they fought the Sith formerly posing as the Supreme Chancellor, and the next there was a flash...

He watched, numb as Fives collapsed into Rex’s arm, babbling on, _“Rex… Rex, I don’t know what’s happening,”_ He said, before disappearing into ash and vanishing from existence. 

Fox yelled Thorn’s name as his friend stared numbly at his hands, disappearing with the breeze coming through the shattered window in the Chancellor’s office. He turned around and Ponds, who was right behind him, was gone, leaving nothing but his blaster behind.

Cody was numb. And confused. And so, so tired.

When he walked shakily into the Chancellor’s office, he was on alert. It was eerily silent. The Sith Lord was gone, the spot where he formerly sat was empty save for what looked like charred carpet. Wolffe, Rex, and Fox followed behind him, and Cody could hear their shallow breaths over the private comm.

The Jedi were silent, staring numbly at their hands or at each other. Skywalker was passed out, bleeding from a head wound against the wall. Cody noted that Generals Yoda and Fisto were missing; and he couldn’t help but wonder if they vanished like his brothers did. Generals Koon and Windu were supporting each other, Windu groaning and grimacing at the pain of having his arm sliced off.

Generals Tiin and Kolar were dead. Their bodies strewn across the floor.

As if a siren went off, chaos erupted. People were yelling and running down the halls, the lights in the building flashing. Cody tuned it out.

His brothers went to their respective Generals, Fox going around to all of them. Cody looked around, seeing Kenobi slouched in the corner, pale. _No,_ Cody thought, rushing forward and immediately checking for a pulse, relieved when he found one. Cody distantly heard Fox calling for a medevac.

The Commander removed his helmet, hands shaking. His mind hasn’t caught up, not yet. He kept repeating the words in his head _‘we failed. They’re gone, they're gone, they’re_ **_gone.’_ ** This was not how this was supposed to go.

Cody looked towards Rex, who was crouched in front of Skywalker and checking his pulse. He could read his brother’s face from the distance. He was pale and sickly looking. But considering he just had one of his closest brothers _die_ in his arms, pleading to whoever was listening to not let him die; Cody couldn’t blame him. He looked at Obi-Wan, who was floating in and out of consciousness, and felt his stomach flip. He wanted to throw up.

The medics arrived, and Cody distantly noticed that Kix wasn’t with them. _He was stationed somewhere else, he had to be,_ he thought rather desperately. Kix investigated the chips with Fives. They were the reason they even went to stop Palpatine in the first place.

_Please don’t let him be gone too._

The medics pulled Obi-Wan away, and Cody let them. Too numb to even comprehend the chaos. His hands were still shaking as he stared at them, invisible blood on his hands.

_“Rex… Rex, I don’t know what’s happening._ **_I don’t want to die.”_ **

Fives, Ponds, Thorn, Generals Fisto, Yoda, Tiin, and Kolar. Probably more too. All _gone._

Cody startled as a hand came to his shoulder. He looked up, seeing Rex’s tired eyes, “We need to check on our men.” 

_That are still alive_ went unsaid, but understood. Cody nodded numbly, standing up on shaking legs and putting his bucket on. Wolffe and Fox joined them.

It was a silent ride down to the lobby of the Senate building where Torrent and Ghost companies were stationed, tasked to defend against the Separatist droids that Palpatine called in at the last minute. The doors to the lift opened and it felt like all the noise hit Cody face first, his mind tuning back in. Cody watched as men in gold and blue (and sometimes no color at all) ran around. Some were yelling for medics while others just stood in a daze. The four commanders walked out of the lift, Fox going into Officer Mode and attempting to bring order to the chaos while Wolffe ran towards the medics.

An ARC trooper in blue armor approached the two remaining officers. His helmet was abandoned and the familiar Republic Cog tattoo had a few bleeding cuts, “S-Sirs,” Jesse began, shaking so violently that Cody was sure he was going to pass out, “What… What happened?” He asked. His voice was strained and eyes were shiny with unshed tears.

Neither Rex or Cody had to say the words. They were obvious. They failed. They failed to apprehend the Sith and he wreaked havoc on the galaxy, destroying half of all life. Half his brothers were gone, reduced to nothing in just seconds.

Rex put a hand on Jesse’s shoulder pauldron, looking his brother in the eye before pulling him into a bone-crushing hug. Both of them let their tears fall, Jesse grabbing into Rex’s armor desperately as he kept whispering. Cody couldn’t hear what he was saying, only picking up the words “Kix” and “gone” to understand that Kix was dusted (Cody distantly wondered if ‘dusted’ was even the right term.) as well.

Another brother to add to the list of remembrances.

Cody left them alone, choosing to find any of his men that he was closer with- Waxer or Boil maybe, maybe even Wooley or Crys. He found Boil first, directing (more like yelling) a group of shinies to do whatever task he warranted as important. He turned around, startled at Cody’s sudden appearance, “Commander!” He recovered, snapping off a quick salute, “Sir, we secured the perimeter. I sent two squads…” Cody stopped listening,

“Boil,” Cody said, his voice cracking a tiny bit. He put a hand on his brother’s shoulder. Boil was panicking. He rambled when he panicked, “Boil, how many did we lose?”

Even with his bucket on, Boil seemed defeated, “Too many, sir…” His voice was dull, “Wooley, Crys, Trapper, Waxer…” His voice cracked on his best friend’s name, body shuddering, “They all just disappeared I- I couldn’t save them-” Cody pulled the trooper into a hug,

“You’re here, Boil. You’re here and you’re _alive_.” And that’s all that needed to be said for Boil to completely break down, body shuddering with silent sobs as he cried behind his helmet, holding onto Cody as if his life depended on it.

Half of Ghost Company was gone, just as Palpatine intended.

* * *

That night, the remaining Commanders stationed on Coruscant were in the barracks reserved for officers. They were silent, staring at each other as they all sat on the floor, backs to the bunks that they pushed against the walls. Some were lying completely on their backs, staring at the ceiling above. Others had their knees tucked close to their chests.

They shared their losses. Rex lost most of his men, a few of them being Dogma, Kix, Fives, Attie, as well as a good amount of shinies. Wolffe lost Comet and Sinker. He and Boost were the only ones left of the original Wolfpack. Fox and Thire were the only officers in the Coruscant Guard left.

Cody hasn’t heard from Hunter. The Bad Batch was likely gone as well.

Doom commed earlier that evening. Half his men were gone and his last General, General Tiplee, was dusted, leaving his battalion without a General. Bly, Bacara, Neyo, and the other commanders were currently MIA but believed to be among those dusted as well. Cody didn’t give up complete hope on Bacara, the Marines would be gone on campaigns for months with no contact. There was still a chance.

The Jedi who went to fight the Chancellor were in Bacta, and likely would be for at least a week. The Republic was in shambles, half the Senate was gone and the Chancellor was a dead Sith lord. 

Cody needed a nap.

No one spoke. Thire was flinging a ball of flimsi in the air and catching it repeatedly while Fox sat motionless next to him. Fox was frozen, eyes staring blankly at the duracrete floor. If it wasn’t for the rise and fall of his chest Cody could swear his brother was a statue.

Rex was the first to make a move, getting up and grabbing a pile of GAR issued blankets and dropping them in the middle of the group. Nothing needed to be said as the surviving commanders grabbed the blankets and spread them out. Wolffe grabbed some of the thin pillows and piled them on the sides.

Thire guided Fox to the cuddle pile, laying him down in the middle. He was likely in shock, and why he wasn’t in the medbay at the moment was something Cody couldn’t comprehend. The remaining commanders all piled up, Cody somehow ending up on top of Wolffe with Rex resting on his legs. They all laid there, holding each other and letting their silent tears fall in mourning for their lost brothers.

* * *

Three weeks later, a new Chancellor was elected. Some wide-eyed Senator from Rodia. If Cody could choose, the new chancellor would’ve been Senator Organa or Senator Amidala. They were both dusted, though.

Skywalker hadn’t taken that well when he came out of Bacta, and names were drawn out of a helmet on who would tell him his Padawan was dusted as well. It ended up being Koon, and Cody was pleasantly surprised to see the Jedi walk out of the room unscathed.

The remaining Jedi on the Council spent a lot of time meditating, supposedly trying to find a way to “bring them all back” as how Obi-Wan worded it. Cody lost hope at bringing anyone back a long time ago. You can’t bring back dead men.

A few Jedi brought together battalions lacking a General to chase down Grievous. The cyborg was killed, ending the war. Dooku disappeared from the Force months back, assumed to be dead. Not even the Jedi know what happened to him. The remaining Jedi were brought back to Coruscant. Caleb Dume returned with half his battalion. Grey wasn’t with him. Another brother gone.

Aayla Secura returned without Bly and Ki-Adi Mundi without Bacara. Cody never heard from Neyo. It seemed to get worse each day. Fox and Thire were Forced to do damage control, coming back every night with new bruises from angry and scared civilians. Wolffe’s anxiety (which he usually kept well hidden) was heightened. He was hyper-aware of everything going on around him. The Commander was on edge, putting a finger to his scar to ground himself, never letting Boost out of his sight and obsessively cleaning his pistols.

“Having a routine makes me think I have _something_ in my life under control,” Wolffe had said, not looking up from his (clean, mind you) DC-17. Cody could swear his younger brother was greying. Cody just nodded, patting Wolffe on the shoulder.

Rex was… not faring well. The Captain never seemed to sleep, and the growing eye bags further proved that theory. He was regularly going between the 501st barracks and the officers’ barracks. Jesse hadn’t been doing well either, the usually outgoing clone going mute completely and hardly eating unless a brother shoved food down his throat.

What Rex wouldn’t tell Cody, was that every time he closed his eyes he saw Fives’ wide, terrified eyes as his body disintegrated. He can’t go to sleep without hearing his cries.

Cody missed Obi-Wan. The Jedi never left the Council chambers and Cody hasn’t actually _seen_ the Jedi since he was barely breathing after the fight with Palpatine. They talked via holocalls and comms, but it wasn’t the same. Nothing was the same, really.

Palpatine did what he said he would. He took the holocrons and wiped out half the population in the Galaxy and tore the Jedi apart at the same time. The Clones discovered the chips and it all snowballed into hell from there. Cody remembers it vividly. Rex brought in Fives wearing shiny armor and a shaken Kix into his office, showing the evidence of the biochips and protocols programmed into them. Palpatine, of course, had a backup plan, that bastard.

Cody let himself into Obi-Wan's quarters in the Temple, brewing himself caf and steeping some tea in case Obi-Wan was able to make it home that night. Cody has been helping the guard with dealing with angry civilians and was nursing a nasty bruise on his cheek from being shoved into a pole.

The door to the quarters slipped open and Cody couldn’t help the reflexes of reaching for the blaster strapped to his hip. He spun around, blaster on stun. It was just Obi-Wan, dark bags under his eyes and wrinkled robes. His hair was slightly longer, a few ginger locks falling on his face. He smiled weakly at Cody, who set his blaster back in its holster.

They stared at each other for a moment, both looking like absolute _shit_. Cody stepped forward first, pulling Obi-Wan close to his chest and resting his head under his chin. Obi-Wan wrapped his arms around the Commander. They stood there, relishing in the other’s presence. Cody broke the silence, “The Counsel finally let you off?”

“‘Ust f’r the night,” Obi-Wan muttered, words slurred from exhaustion. They stood for a moment longer,

“I made tea if you want it,” Cody said quietly. The Jedi was obviously exhausted, which is why Cody purposely made tea that wasn't caffeinated. Obi-Wan nodded stiffly, already moving away to sit on the small armchair in the corner. Cody moved to the small kitchenette swiftly, grabbing the mug of tea and his own caf. 

Cody handed the mug to Obi-Wan, sitting down on the ground next to the armchair and leaning against it. He already had the top half of his armor taken off. Cody could feel the tension in the air and it was suffocating. He tried to break the silence,

“I take it we both feel like complete _osik?”_ Cody asked, slight humor in his voice. He didn’t even have the energy to crack a real joke. Obi-Wan stayed silent, not even acknowledging Cody. He was staring into his mug, grim determination on his face, “Obi…?”

“I figured it out.” He said at last. Voice cracking. His eyes stayed glued to the mug, “I figured out how to bring them back.”

Cody stared, dumbfounded. He couldn’t even process what was just said, “I- _what?_ Bring them back?”

Obi-Wan just nodded, meeting Cody’s eyes. His eyes were glassy and the bags under his eyes were a deep purple, offsetting his bright blue eyes. He took a deep breath, “The council has been meditating for days and I- I _think_ I figured it out. I can’t be sure…”

Cody stared in shock silence, “Are… _how?”_

Obi-Wan took a shuttered breath, putting his mug down on the floor next to his chair and resting his head in his hands, “The holocrons and crystals Palpatine used are destroyed but… But we might be able to get them back.”

“Obi-Wan, that… that sounds like-”

“Time travel… I know. Cody, trust me I _know_ how ridiculous it sounds but what _if_ we could. We get those holocrons and we get everyone back.” He sounded so hopeful and it hurt Cody. Cody wasn’t optimistic, it was hard to be these days.

“If we time travel, Palpatine could come back.”

“But we’ll have the holocrons. We snap him and the Separatists out of the galaxy _and_ we get everyone else back.” Cody considered it for a moment.

“How would we do it? Granted I don’t know much about the Force and the science of time but time travel isn’t exactly possible. If it was, people would do it.”

“That’s what I’m trying to figure out, Commander.” Obi-Wan got up and grabbed a datapad off the counter, bringing it back and opening up to a blank screen. He pulled out the Stylus from its compartment and started drawing on the screen where Cody couldn’t see from his position. The Jedi was focused as he moved the stylus on the screen, tongue sticking out slightly in his focus.

After a few minutes, he showed it to Cody. The Commander stared at the scribbled drawing, illegible words and vague shapes drawn on the screen. He narrowed his eyes and twisted his head, trying to figure out what he was staring at, “Obi-Wan, what does this say.” He said in a monotone voice. The Jedi sighed, taking the datapad and scribbling some more before handing it back. Cody could see the exaggerated lines and words from where Obi-Wan went back over them and took a few seconds to process it,

“You want to time travel with the Force?”

“Yes.”

“Is that even possible?”

“Maybe.” Cody raised an eyebrow at the Jedi and Obi-Wan stared right back, “No one said you couldn’t.”

“And that’s your reasoning?”

“Do you have a better idea, Commander?” Obi-Wan challenged, there was slight humor in his voice.

“Oh, _I don’t know,_ a time machine?” Obi-Wan raised an eyebrow at the suggestion. Cody rolled his eyes, “Maybe do something with Hyperspace?”

“Hyperspace is hard to navigate.”

“And the Force isn’t? Obi-Wan, look, I would love to do this but it’s just not possible. You can’t travel through time.”

Obi-Wan sighed, leaning back in his chair and rubbing his face with his hands, “I’ll figure it out, Cody.”

* * *

The bastard figured it out.

Cody stared dumbstruck next to his brothers, who all likely had the same expression under their helmets as they stared at the Jedi in front of them. Skywalker was smirking, holding a device in his hand while Obi-Wan, Windu and Koon presented the projection in front of them. Wolffe tried to hide his shaking while Fox just stared, not moving. Doom had his hands behind his back, fidgeting.

“Will it work?” Rex asked, voice quiet and strained. 

Skywalker spoke up, “We still need to do some test runs but… If it works we have a chance.” Thire made a choked noise behind his helmet, coming in clear through the private comms. Wolffe spoke next, voice trembling. Cody hasn’t heard his voice tremble since he was in the medbay after losing his eye, it feels like so long ago, “So this… Thing will make us so microscopic that we can travel through particles of time and you just… Use the Force to navigate and hope for the best.”

“Yeah,” Skywalker said without missing a beat.

“Great…” Wolffe replied, using the sarcasm to mask the terror he felt.

“We know it sounds troubling,” General Koon said, voice rumbling behind the mask, “But this is a chance we have. You are not required to go, but we need as many hands as we can.” No one stepped back, but Cody didn’t miss the way Fox seemed to think about it, leaning back ever so slightly.

A beat passed with nothing said. Skywalker spoke up once again, “Great. I’m hoping to do a test run as soon as possible.”

“I’ll do it, sir,” Rex spoke up, stepping forward. Cody had to hold himself back from pulling his little brother away from the table. Skywalker nodded before Windu dismissed the Commanders.

Cody grabbed Rex by the elbow on his way out, “What the hell were you thinking?”

Rex sighed, “We need to do test-runs, Codes.”

“You could _die.”_

“I won’t, _Kote._ Skywalker may be kriffin’ insane but I trust him. He won’t get me killed.”

“Hasn’t he thrown you with the Force?”

“I’m still here.” Rex put his hands on Cody’s shoulders, _“Vod,_ I’ll be fine. If this works we can get them back. That’s all I care about right now.”

Cody glared at his brother through his helmet visor. He was… Proud, though. He practically raised Rex. He brought the young cadet into his squad’s barracks and it’s like he was always a part of the CC’s. Cody raised him well, he’ll be fine.

_He better be fine._

“If you die, I’ll kill you myself.” The tilt of Rex’s helmet suggested the younger clone was smiling, a rare thing to see from Rex recently.

“I know you would.” He clicked their gauntlets together before walking away. Cody watched, a feeling of dread settling over him.

* * *

If Cody didn’t have his gloves on, he’d be chewing his nails.

Rex was in the center of the room, which looked to be some kind of training room in the Temple before it was converted into an insulated room unofficially called the ‘Time Travel Room,’ which was absolutely ridiculous. He could thank Wolffe and Fox for that.

Rex was in his kit, helmet sealed, and extra protective gear on. He had an oxygen tank (“Just in case” Skywalker said) and was bouncing anxiously on his heels.

“If I do this right, I should be able to send Rex back from here. As long as the Force is involved, a Jedi doesn’t need to go with him,” Skywalker announced.

_“If,_ sir?” Rex asked, anxiety settling in.

“Don’t worry about it.” Cody rolled his eyes.

“Where am I going, sir?” Skywalker smirked at the Captain.

“You’ll see.”

“Sir-” There was a flash and Rex was gone.

“Skywalker!” Cody yelled, panic settling in. Wolffe grabbed his bicep to hold him back.

“Relax, Commander. I’ll wait a few seconds and bring him back.”

* * *

Rex felt like he was in a vacuum in space. His body was flung everywhere and it felt like he was in a free fall going on forever. This was definitely worse than that time on Geonosis.

He didn’t scream, he totally didn’t.

He landed with an _“OOF”_ and felt his whole skeleton rattle at the impact. Thank gods for armor. He groaned, pulling himself onto shaking feet as his vision cleared. He looked around, immediately recognizing the halls of Kamino.

Skywalker sent him to Kamino?

He looked around. He was clearly an officer, no one would question him, but he still felt like someone was going to come up and interrogate him. He hesitantly walked through the hallways, catching glimpses of cadets who looked at him in awe. One was even whispering to their sibling something about _“The_ Captain Rex!”

So he wasn’t in his cadet days.

He turned one more hallway when he heard it.

“Look around, Fives! Feels like yesterday we were here.”

“Heading to target practice! Remember that?”

“Do I ever… Hey! 99!”

_Echo? Fives?_

“Echo! Fives!”

“You actually remember us?”

“Of course I do! I remember all my brothers.”

Fives was here. Rex broke into a sprint turning around a corner. He spotted the familiar paint jobs of Echo and Fives in their phase 1 armor. He heard the beeping on his comlink, _No! Not yet…!_

“FIVES!”

He was pulled back.

Fives turned around, eyebrow raised, “Was that the Captain?”

“Sounded like it.” Echo replied. Fives shrugged, turning back towards his older brother.

* * *

Rex appeared 10 seconds later. He was on his knees staring at his shaking hands. Cody pulled out of Wolffe’s grip, running towards his younger brother and pulling his bucket off. Rex was breathing heavily but dry-eyed, “Rex?”

“It-It worked.”

“It did?” Skywalker asked excitedly from behind Cody. Rex nodded.

“Cody I saw them. Fives… Echo. Cody, I saw 99.”

“The Battle of Kamino?”

“Y-Yeah.” A grin broke onto the blonde’s face, “Cody, we can bring them back.”

Cheers erupted from the various commanders and Jedi present. Skywalker _high fived_ Kenobi and Cody was wondering if he needed to get his eyes checked because he _swears_ Windu had a smile on his face. Cody smiled at his brother, pulling him into a hug.

* * *

Cody, Rex, Wolffe, and Fox were tasked with assigning teams. They needed 6 holocrons all over the galaxy and from different times. Plus 2 kyber crystals because of _course,_ they weren’t near their holocrons. 8 teams, that’s how many they needed.

“We need a Jedi on each team?”

“Yes, Fox. We went over this four times,” Wolffe replied, his signature snark directed at the Guard member. Fox glared at his brother. Before an inevitable fight would break out between the two, Cody interfered. 

“So, Jedi-wise, we got Skywalker, Kenobi, Secura, Windu, Koon,” He grimaced at the next name, “and Vos. What other two Jedi can we spare?”

“Mundi?” Rex suggested.

“Do we _actually_ want to work with Mundi, though?” Fox asked. They all stared at each other. It was a genuine question.

“I’ll put him on the ‘maybe’ list,” Cody muttered, writing the Jedi’s name on the datapad.

“Dume?” Fox suggested. Wolffe spun around so fast he must’ve pulled a muscle in his neck,

_“Dume?_ Fox, he’s fourteen!”

“Tano was fourteen when the war started!”

“We are not sending a child on the Time Heist.”

Rex, the little shit, interjected, “Time Heist, Wolffe? Really?”

“Do you have a better name?” Wolffe challenged.

“Literally anything other than,” He put his hands in air quotes, “The Time Heist.”

Wolffe narrowed his eyes, “Your argument is invalid.” Cody sighed, exasperated.

“We aren’t sending a child through time. Anyone else?” They all pondered the question.

“Isn’t Luminara alive?” Wolffe asked. Cody nodded, not letting his mind linger on the thought of Gree not coming back either. He wrote down Luminara’s name.

“So we either think of someone else or someone is being stuck with Mundi,” Cody announced.

“Is Mundi any worse than Vos?” Rex asked. Fox’s eyes shot up.

“Vos is a living hell to work with.” Three sets of eyes landed on the Coruscant Guard commander. His face flushed, “I-”

“I’m assigning you to Vos,” Cody said, hiding the smile from his voice as he put Fox’s name next to Vos’.

_“Cody!”_

* * *

The Jedi assigned to be on the dubbed “Time Heist” stood in the conference room. Cody, Wolffe, Fox, Rex, Doom, Thire, Boost, Jesse, and Boil were in the room as well. General Windu explained the mission.

There were five Sith planets they needed to visit and one planet where an old Jedi Temple was. On top of that, two teams needed to go to Illum but in two separate times. For these crystals being “artifacts,” they sure moved a lot.

Cody watched intently, elbow brushing against Kenobi’s ever so slightly. Holograms of various planets appeared as Windu spoke; Korriban, Dromund Kaas, Vormir, Begeren, and Athiss. The names gave Cody the creeps.

He tuned out Windu’s spiel, most of it didn’t apply to him, anyway. He looked around, noticing how those that were assigned together moved to stand in a group. He stifled a laugh behind his helmet as Vos smirked at Fox when he moved to stand next to him.

He eyed Boil curiously as the 212th soldier moved to stand with Rex, Jesse and Skywalker. Wherever they were going, they needed a large group.

“Master Kenobi and Commander Cody will go to Vormir,” Windu finished. Cody stood up straighter. The Jedi exchanged a few more words among themselves before dismissing everyone. They officially start the mission tomorrow.

Cody suppressed a sigh. He had a bad feeling about this.

* * *

The clones going on the mission met up in the officers’ barracks to get absolutely _hammered_. Fox smuggled in alcohol without a hitch (his name was Fox for a reason) and the commanders completely let loose, much to the horror of their younger brothers.

“You’re telling me that Commander Cody got his scar from slipping in the shower?” Boost asked, wide-eyed. The Commanders failed to stifle their laughter. Doom just chuckled, swishing the whiskey in his cup. He wasn’t much of a drinker.

“I wasn’t even in their squad yet the news traveled so fast throughout the CCs all of us knew by the next day.”

“I swear you got into some bar fight,” Jesse muttered. His filter was completely gone with the alcohol.

“Good. That's what I want you to believe.” Cody said, deadpan. Wolffe was absolutely losing his shit. Cody smirked at his brother, “Now, did anyone ever tell you boys about the time Wolffe called General Koon-”

“Cody, don’t you _fucking dare,”_ Wolffe growled. Cody met his eye and smirked. Wolffe tackled his brother, getting him into a headlock. Rex and Fox laughed their asses off.

Cody laughed, “He called General Koon ‘Dad!’” Cody choked out. The room exploded into laughter. Wolffe growled,

“You _shabuir,_ I’ll fucking get you!” Wolffe yelled. Cody laughed, flipping them over so he had the upper hand. Wolffe pushed his brother off, the two commanders wrestling (while absolutely wasted. Their moves were pitiful) in the center of the group.

“Wolffe, do _not_ bite me!”

* * *

The next day, Cody was nursing a killer headache when he walked into the Time Heist Room, his bucket resting on his hip. He looked around for Obi-Wan, but it seems the Jedi hasn’t arrived yet. Cody frowned.

The two got into a relationship a few months back, but they haven’t really communicated recently. Cody wishes it wasn’t like that, he missed his _jetti._

Wolffe walked in, messaging his temple with one hand. Boil and Jesse stumbled in right behind him, failing to hide how much they were hungover. “Did you boys drink water at all?” Cody asked. Jesse and Boil looked at each other sheepishly. Cody sighed, “Go get water. This is a mission you have to be your best for.”

“Yes, sir!” Both troopers saluted, walking back to the ‘freshers in the temple, likely to drink water straight from the sink. It was better than nothing, he supposed.

Koon, Windu, and Luminara arrived next, and soon everyone started to come in after them. Obi-Wan walked in, looking around for Cody and face lighting up when he spotted the commander. He speed-walked over. “Commander,” he greeted.

“General.” Cody gave a sly smile to Obi-Wan, mentally patting himself on the back when the shorter man blushed.

Skywalker excitedly passed out the devices that were to go around everyone’s wrist. Cody examined his. It looked like a commlink. The Commander shrugged, putting his on and making sure it fit securely between his hand and wrist gauntlets. Windu looked around, Commander Doom by his side, “You all know your assignments?” Nods and grunts in affirmation responded. “Then we know what we have to do. May the Force be with us. Everyone link up.”

Cody and Obi-Wan clicked their commlinks at the same time before a flash met their eyes.

* * *

When Rex said it felt like you were falling, he severely underestimated it. Cody kept his eyes shut, his whole body tense. It felt like he was being swung like a ragdoll. He fought his nausea as best as he could, but he still felt the bile rise in his throat.

Just as he thought he was going to puke in his bucket, they landed. Cody groaned as he got up, shaking his head to clear his vision and get his HUD up and running once again. He glanced over, seeing Obi-Wan standing nonchalantly, dusting off his robes.

Kriffing Jedi.

Cody looked up, dusting what he could assume was ash or sand off his armor. Looking around, he spotted the multitude of ponds and lakes with eerily clear water. The sun was behind a thick layer of purple and pink clouds, the edges of it visible. It was scarily silent.

Cody spotted the mountain dead ahead of them, what looked like two towers at the very top. Obi-Wan spoke up as if reading his mind, “My guess is the Holocron is up there.” Cody held back a groan at the thought of climbing all the way up.

They climbed in silence, anxiety settling in both of them. The closer they got, the darker the Force felt. Obi-Wan's stomach lurched as the darkness got stronger. They just need to grab the Holocron and leave.

They reached the top, both men taking a break. The climb did a number on their knees and considering all the loose rocks, it's a wonder no one broke their ankle. _I bet Rex didn’t have to climb a kriffing mountain,_ Cody thought bitterly.

Obi-Wan looked around, trying to feel the Holocron in the Force but coming up empty. The darkness was too much. There was what looked to be a tunnel that led to a cliff, and Obi-Wan had a sneaking suspicion that cliff was going to be a part of this retrieval.

Cody recovered from the climb, moving to stand next to Obi-Wan. Their shoulders bumped together. “Sense anything, sir?”

“Cody, it’s just us. Don’t call me sir. And, no, there isn’t anything.”

Cody didn’t acknowledge the first comment, “Nothing?”

The Jedi stayed silent before turning towards Cody. He gently unsealed the helmet, pulling it off and revealing Cody’s familiar face. His olive skin was shiny with sweat and his scar looked almost invisible in the dark light. Cody raised an eyebrow. The Commander opened his mouth to speak when he was interrupted by soft lips on his own.

He let his eyes slip shut. It wasn’t a hard or aggressive kiss. It was soft and tender. Obi-Wan pulled away after a few seconds, face flushing, and Cody smiled down at the shorter man. They stayed like that for a moment longer before Obi-Wan pulled away, flustered. “We- should uh, we should get going.” He handed Cody’s bucket back to him.

The two walked through the tunnel on alert. Obi-Wan rested his hand on his saber while Cody had his blaster in his hands. They walked nearly silently, and Cody was expecting some type of booby trap he’s heard brothers talk about to mess this whole thing up for them.

“Welcome.”

_Oh fuck no,_ both Cody and Obi-Wan turned simultaneously, Cody raising his blaster and Obi-Wan igniting his saber, blue light lighting up the tunnel. Cody could vaguely pick up some type of… shape on his HUD.

“Who are you!” He called out, finger hovering over the trigger. Obi-Wan was less tense, most likely going into Negotiator mode- which was pointless against a _Sith._

“Consider me… A guide.” The voice spoke. The figure in Cody’s HUD came into the light, and the soldier was taken aback at the sight of the spirit that seemed to be wearing a ripped cloak. His face was completely covered, which didn’t ease Cody’s anxiety.

“You’re a Sith!” Obi-Wan stated, going into his signature opening stance, willing this ‘guide’ to fight him. The spirit did not move to attack the Jedi.

“I may be a Sith, but it is my job to guide those who seek the Holocron to it.” The spirit spoke simply. Cody and Obi-Wan shared a look. The guide turned, gesturing for the pair to follow him.

The Sith led them to the cliff Obi-Wan noted earlier. Cody glanced down, “Is it down there?”

“Not exactly,” The spirit spoke. Cody turned to glare at the Sith, “In order to receive the Holocron, you must lose that which you love. That is why no one has succeeded in taking the Holocron.” Cody froze.

“You’re lying.”

The spirit hummed, “I don’t lie. I am simply a messenger.” He spoke, making a motion that Cody could only assume was a shrug. 

Obi-Wan sat down on a nearby log, looking away from the cliff. Cody got closer, inspecting the drop. It was at least 30 meters, “Cody, step away from the ledge,” Obi-Wan called out, not looking at the Commander. Cody scoffed,

“You don’t actually believe this guy?” He asked, sitting down next to the Jedi. Obi-Wan shrugged weakly, “Obi-Wan, he’s a Sith.”

“Dooku went missing and was presumed dead. Palpatine had to get the Holocron.”

“Palpatine _loved_ Dooku, then?” Obi-Wan gave the commander a disgusted look, “We can just find the Holocron-”

“I can’t even feel it, Cody.” Obi-Wan sighed, resting his face in his hands.

“I’m not jumping off a cliff because a Sith told me too.” Cody said sternly, “And you aren’t, either.”

“How else are we supposed to get the Holocron?” Obi-Wan asked. His eyes were steel and dangerous looking. Cody knew that look.

The two men stared at each other, both thinking the same thing. Cody grabbed Obi-Wan's hand, intertwining their fingers. He leaned forward, pressing their foreheads together, mentally apologizing to the Jedi.

Cody kneed Obi-Wan in the gut, causing the latter to double over in pain. Cody swiftly spun around, pointed himself at the cliff, and _ran._ Clearly, he wasn’t fast enough, as he was thrown to the side with the Force. As he recovered, he noticed Obi-Wan was running for the cliff’s edge.

Cody pushed himself up and body-slammed the Jedi, straddling him and putting his forearm on his chest, “Tell the boys I love them,” he said, teary-eyed as he thought of Rex and Wolffe and Waxer, who they’d hopefully get back.

Obi-Wan grunted, trying to push Cody off of him. “You tell them yourself.”

“No can do, Obi.” Cody sighed, feeling a tear fall. He really was about to do this. The cliff edge was right _there_. He looked past the cliff, seeing the sun setting below the horizon, leaving a purple-red hue om everything around.

Releasing his grip from Obi-Wan, Cody threw himself over.

Only to be stopped. His shoulder screamed as it was jerked suddenly. He opened his eyes slowly, peeking down. He could see how far the ground was and instantly regretted looking down. He strained his neck up, seeing Obi-Wan gripping his wrist so tightly his knuckles were white. The Jedi was at an odd angle, his other hand gripping a root in the side of the cliff. Obi-Wan's eyes were wide, horror was written across them, “Cody!”

Cody groaned as his shoulder blade screamed, “Obi-Wan… Obi-Wan, let go.”

“What!”

_“Let me go,”_ He pleaded, “We have a chance at saving billions. Let me go.” Tears were falling down his face, his body swinging. He felt Obi-Wan's grip on his wrist slip just a tiny bit.

“I’m not letting you die, Cody!” Obi-Wan pleaded.

“The Jedi need you, Obi-Wan. I-” A new wave of tears fell down his cheeks, falling to the ground so far below, “Obi-Wan… _Ni kar’taylir gar darasuum.”_ Obi-Wan's eyes widened,

“Cody-” The Commander kicked at the cliff, pulling his wrist out of Obi-Wan's grasp, _“Cody!”_

Commander Cody blacked out before he hit the ground.

* * *

Obi-Wan woke up in a pool, kilometers away from the mountain- from the _cliff._ He woke up groggy, rubbing his temples with one hand and examining the- Wait.

The Sith Holocron sat in his left hand, its dull red glow lighting up Obi-Wan's pale skin. He looked around, noticing he was alone. “Cody?” 

The memories hit him like a speeder. The Sith, Masters Fisto and Yoda disintegrating, the sleepless nights and days of meditation, the time travel- Cody dangling and forcing Obi-Wan to let go. He remembers the tears in the Commander’s eyes, a small smile on his face as he said those words.

_Ni kar’taylir gar darasuum._

And then the blood splattered on the ground. The sickening crack of the Commander’s neck and plastoid was all that was heard before everything went white.

Obi-Wan struggled to hit the buttons on his comm, attempting to see through the tears. He must’ve hit the right sequence because he was soon flung and his stomach lurched once again.

When he arrived back, he saw other teams showing up. Skywalker’s team looked more disheveled than anyone else, and Rex was sporting a black eye. What happened on Vormir was slowly settling in for Obi-Wan as he stared at the blasted Holocron in his hand.

The clones and Jedi immediately started to converse, not noticing Obi-Wan's blank stare. Not until Rex spoke up.

“General Kenobi?” The Captain asked. The room went silent, “Sir… Sir where’s Cody?” Obi-Wan broke.

The Jedi collapsed onto his knees, dropping the Holocron and pulling at his hair. Silent tears fell down his face. Wolffe seemed taken aback, “N-No…”

Boil felt tears pool into his eyes just as Anakin let the unspoken words settle in. Master Plo went up to his friend, silently pulling Obi-Wan into a tight hug that had the younger Jedi stifling his sobs in the elder’s robes.

Rex stood, numb. He tried to comprehend it. Cody was gone… They wouldn’t have a chance at bringing him back. The Captain wasn’t sure if it was even justified to be mad at Obi-Wan.

The room stayed quiet, save for the stifled sobs of the Jedi on the ground. Wolffe bowed his head in mourning, Fox and Boil following suit. Soon, everyone in the room had their head bowed.

* * *

Four days later, the population was returned to normal. Fives blinked at his hands, bending his fingers as if they would snap off at any moment. Fox embraced Thorn, who returned the hug gratefully. Boil ran into Waxer’s arms.

No one asked where Cody was, not since the Commanders painted an orange stripe on their shoulder pauldrons or a painting of Cody’s helmet was put at the front of the GAR barracks. Rex had yet to find out who painted it, not that he was mad. He could never be mad at that.

Ahsoka jumped into Rex’s arms the second she saw her older brother, crying as she held onto him. Senator Amidala and Skywalker had an… _Intense_ reunion, to say the least, not that it was even a secret.

Obi-Wan sat in his quarters, tea in hand as he looked out over the horizon. Master Windu was once again in bacta, nearly sacrificing his life to use the Holocrons. The Council was in shambles, but slowly putting themselves back together now that Yoda was returned to existence.

To an outsider, life was _swell._

Obi-Wan looked down at his wrist, where he had Cody’s scar penned in. He hoped to get it tattooed soon (Vos had offered to take him, but Obi-Wan would rather cut his arm off than get a tattoo with _Quinlan)_ , but he had higher priorities.

He was exhausted. He couldn’t sleep. All he saw was Cody’s broken body on the ground, or his teary eyes as he forced himself out of Obi-Wan's grip.

“You need to stop blaming yourself, my friend.” Came the deep voice of a Kel Dor. Obi-Wan turned around, smiling weakly at his friend.

“Hello, Master Plo.” He was about to offer tea but realized how awkward it would be considering he didn’t have straws laying around, “What can I do for you?”

“You know why I’m here, Obi-Wan,” The Kel Dor replied matter-of-factly. Obi-Wan couldn’t deny it, “I can feel your despair from across the Temple.”

“Forgive me, Master. My shields aren’t as strong as they used to be.”

“Your shields aren’t of importance right now,” Plo spoke sternly. Obi-Wan couldn’t read the other’s expression behind the mask but could assume his eyes were narrowed. “You’re grieving and blaming yourself.”

Obi-Wan sighed. “It… It should’ve been me,” He replied quietly. He was startled by the Kel Dor’s hands on his shoulders.

“Never say that, Obi-Wan. Cody made his choice.”

“He _shouldn’t_ have. He's not expendable.”

“And neither are you… Obi-Wan.” He Forced the younger man to look him in the eyes (or his goggles, really). “Cody made his choice. You need to respect that choice, _honor it._ Don’t mope around,” He paused, “Senator Amidala is hosting a gathering tonight. You should go.”

“I hardly think I’m-” He stopped at the look the older Jedi Master gave him. He sighed. “Alright, alright. I’ll be there.”

Plo nodded. He gave his equivalent of a sympathetic look at Obi-Wan before walking out of his quarters.

_Honor it._

Obi-Wan walked over to the closet, pulling out a formal set of robes that Cody always said he liked. Maybe he could enjoy himself, just for the night.

**Author's Note:**

> Hi I'm so sorry
> 
> I do plan on adding to this au a bit more (hence the series), but I can't say how often I will? I'd love to talk about the au so! My Tumblr is @FlyingFreeYT come scream at me
> 
> The original doc was called "codywan angst go brrrr"


End file.
